Range and Habitat

Least Bittern: Breeds in wetland areas throughout the central and eastern U.S., though is absent from the Appalachian Mountains, along the southern Pacific coast. Spends winters from the southern states south to Colombia. Resident in central Mexico and the West Indies. Found in dense marshlands supporting cattails and reeds.

Breeding and Nesting

Least Bittern: Two to seven pale blue to green eggs are laid in a platform nest made of dead and living plant stems, and built about a foot above the water, usually at the base of dried, emergent vegetation. Incubation ranges from 17 to 20 days and is carried out by both parents.